39 Princess Proud.

Just as Grace sat by the bar sipping from her wine glass and observing all that was going on, she noticed her friends Jin, Ki, and Yon, walking into the bar.

Grace followed them with her eyes as they walked over to their usual spot to sit down. Zoe, whose eyes were fixed on her, followed her eyes and gasped audibly when she saw Grace's friends.

"What is wrong?" Zhang Wei asked when he heard her gasp.

"She is here. I think we need to leave," Zoe said cocking her head in the direction of the ladies.

"We need to start leaving anyway. We have spent an hour already. So we are not exactly leaving because of her," Zhang Wei said as he stood up and buttoned his suit jacket.

"Really? Let's leave then," Zoe said, glancing at her sister's Personal assistant once more before walking out with Zhang Wei. Luckily for them, they had chosen a spot close to the door, so they could easily slip out unnoticed.

"Where do you live?" Zhang Wei asked immediately after they got to the car.

"No. You can't visit me. Visitors are not allowed in my home," Zoe said hurriedly

"I wasn't asking because I want to visit you. I'm asking because I have to drop you off," Zhang Wei said with an amused smile. He understood it was still too early in their friendship to do visits.

"Oh! Just drive then, and I will direct you," Zoe said with a relieved smile before getting into the car.

She directed him to the area where the departmental store was located. "You can drop me off here. I don't want my sister or mother to see me with you," She lied.

"Why? Are you ashamed of me?" Zhang Wei asked with a frown.

"No, no. Not that. They don't like rich people very much, so they might get angry, you know?" Zoe cringed at the terrible lie she was telling. She was telling him so many lies already, and she could tell that was definitely not the right way to build a friendship.

"But why would anyone hate rich people?" Zhang Wei asked in confusion.

"I have to run now. I will tell you all about it tomorrow. Thanks for today," Zoe said before stepping out of the car.

She walked in the opposite direction from the department store and waited for him to leave before rushing into the store.

"I thought you weren't going to come today. You're late," The young lady behind the counter said with a grin.

"Had to do something. Can I get the key?" Zoe asked with a polite smile before collecting it from her and going in to change.

She returned a few minutes later, completely transformed, and quickly took a cab home.

************

"Can I join you, girls?" Grace asked her friends as she walked over to them with her glass of drink.

They considered her briefly and whispered amongst themselves, and then they decided if she could easily gain entrance and then afford to buy a glass of drink in this particular club, then she probably was from a well-to-do home or was rich herself.

"Sure. What is your name?" Ki asked her.

"I'm Ann Peters," Grace said as she sat down beside Yon and crossed her legs.

"Well, I'm Ki, she is Jin, and the one closest to you is Yon," Ki said with a smile.

"So go on with what you were saying, Jin. You really think Zhang Wei is gay?" Yon asked impatiently. She really didn't want any interruptions until Jin finished her story.

"Yes! I literally walked in on them, smooching! I even have a photo evidence," Jin said with a teasing smile.

"You caught them kissing on camera? Bitch!" Ki exclaimed in excitement while Yon looked at Jin slack-jawed.

Grace, on the other hand, frowned as she listened to the conversation. Zoe had mentioned something about their mother arranging a blind date between her and Zhang Wei. Was it possible he was truly gay? She wondered.

Yon turned to look at Grace, and when she saw the frown, she assumed Grace was lost. "Zhang Wei was actually supposed to have a blind date with Jin, but when he failed to show up, Jin went to his office to confront him and caught him smooching another guy," Yon filled her in on the details.

"Oh! That's... interesting," Grace managed to say even though she was at a loss for what to say.

"Where is the picture?" Ki and Yon asked Jin excitedly. They couldn't wait to spread the rumor on their social media pages.

"I didn't exactly capture them in the act... I could only do so when they were leaving," Jin said quietly as she showed them the picture. She watched the excitement leave their faces as they sighed in disappointment.

"Well, it's good riddance to him anyway," Jin quickly said, wanting to remain the center of focus. She was so glad Grace wasn't with them. She really disliked Grace's manner and the way she kept acting, all proud and mighty amongst them.

"So, when last did either of you hear from Grace?" Ki asked, changing the subject since Jin had no definite proof.

Grace's ears perked up the moment she heard her name. These were her friends, and once again, she had the rare privilege of hearing all the sweet things they had to say about her in her absence. Unfiltered sincerity from people who knew her best. She thought with a smile and leaned forward slightly so she could hear them above the music.

"That bitch? If I don't hear from her again, it will be too soon," Yon said, making Jin giggle.

"I actually thought I was the only one who felt that way about her," Jin said. She was indeed happy that her other friends also didn't like Grace.

"That overbearing attitude of hers? Like she feels she is the boss of us! I can't stand how she talks to us like we are beneath her, whereas we are all in the same class," Yon added.

"C'mon girls, she is bad but definitely not so terrible!" Ki said with a giggle.

"Can you believe that after all the crap she told us about Wang Tae-Joon, she is busy dating him again?" Jin asked.

"Hell no! Those two are sworn enemies," Ki said.

"She is the one hating on the poor gentleman! She is lucky she is finally going out with him. Else I would have snatched him right under her nose," Yon said with a smirk.

Grace suddenly blinked back the tears which had gathered in her eyes. She wasn't wanted anywhere. Not at work, not by her friends, and definitely not in her home. She stood up to excuse herself.

"Is something wrong? You don't look okay," Yon observed.

"I'm fine. I'll join you soon," She managed to say without looking at them. There was nothing here for her, absolutely nothing. She just wanted to disappear.

She returned to the bar and purchased a bottle of scotch before walking to the rooftop of the club with it.

Brad, who was alone on the rooftop smoking a cigar, turned when he heard the clinking sound of feminine heels.

"Hey, beautiful!" He called out.

"Get lost!" She told him without turning to look at him.

"A tough one, are you?" Brad asked with a grin. He hardly had ladies who turned him down so bluntly. So maybe that was what awakened the predator in him and made him double interested in her.

Grace walked to the edge of the rooftop and sat on the bare ground before gulping down half the content of the bottle. Although it burnt her throat and choked her, she didn't stop.

"Hey! I wouldn't do that if I were you," Brad called out in warning when he noticed what she was doing.

"Unfortunately, you're not me, and I'm not even me. So, get lost!" Grace yelled at him with a croaked voice.

Brad quickly walked up to her and snatched the bottle of scotch from her grip.

"Hey! You lowlife, ugly oaf, will you give me back my bottle? Or you can't afford to buy yourself a drink, so you hide up here to snatch free drinks from vulnerable ladies like myself?" She asked and then giggled drunkenly.

This was the exact reason she didn't take alcohol. The first time had been a disaster, and she had sworn to stay off it, but today she felt horrible and really needed a boost. She wasn't here as Jiang Grace but as Ann Peters, so getting drunk would definitely be excusable.

"What is your name, my lovely princess proud?" Brad asked, chuckling as he sat down beside her on the ground.

"Not your damn business! Return my drink!" She told him in slurred speech.

"I'll just settle for princess proud, then. So tell me, why do you want to knock yourself out so bad?" Brad asked.